Each year at our Annual Meeting, the Kansas Home Care Association likes to recognize some of the special people in the home care and hospice industry. On September 24, 2014, at the Marriott Hotel in Wichita, Kansas, KHCA Executive Director, Jane Kelly, and KHCA Awards Committee Chair, Jill Guenther, presented our 2014 awards as follows:

Home Care & Hospice Hero

Marty McSorley,Volunteer, Visiting Nurses, Lawrence, KS

This award is reserved for a friend of home care and hospice – someone not directly employed in the field, someone outside the home care and hospice agency arena and not an active board member.

A portion of his nomination reads: "Marty is a person who gladly steps forward and expresses a willingness to undertake a service, and does so without need or want for recognition. Knowing that every penny saved is one more penny to help a patient in need, he helps with everything, big and small, always with a gentle nature and a big smile. The list goes on and on of the tasks Marty has helped with, and our agency could not be more grateful for all of his help, both for our patients and our agency. His generosity and willingness to always lend a helping hand makes him truly worthy of the Home Care & Hospice Hero nomination."

This award honors a physician or nurse practitioner who excels in providing and utilizing home care, and who advocates for home care within the health care system.

A portion of his nomination reads: “I have had the privilege to work with Dr. Whitlow for more than 25 years in the home care field. He has been very proactive and supportive of disease management with appropriate referrals to home health to maximize patient success at home... Dr. Whitlow has also done home visits when patients are truly homebound. He has also supported the face-to-face commitment with a home visit when needed.... I hope that Dr. Whitlow is considered for this honor related to his understanding, commitment and dedication to home health and hospice.”

This award honors an individual who serves in the KS state legislature or represents KS in the US Congress and who has demonstrated consistent leadership on legislative initiatives that advance and support the home health care industry and who has demonstrated active involvement with constituent agencies.

Retirees – Any employee or owner of a KHCA member home health or hospice agency who has retired or will be retiring from the industry in 2014.